"In recent years, economic growth has been relatively high in three largest countries in the region, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which recorded annual growth per capita above 5 percent in 2000-2006," according to "Rethinking Poverty" report of the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

"As a result, the sub-region saw the proportion of those living in extreme poverty decline in relative terms, from a high of 59 percent in 1981 to 40 percent in 2005," it said.

"However, such growth has not been sufficiently inclusive and pro-poor to reduce the absolute numbers of people living in poverty. Income inequalities have grown steadily in India since the 1980s, in borh urban and rural areas."

Giving some examples, the report says the levels of poverty varied significantly within India where Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu saw the share of poor decline from 18 percent in 1993-94 to 15 percent in 1999-2000.

At the same time, the share of the total number of poor in Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal jumped from 57 percent to 63 percent during the same period.

"Therefore, although there has been a steady decline in the incidence of poverty in India, the efforts of the government have not resulted in a uniform impact across regions. There remain regions where poverty is still deep and severe and hence require greater attention."